Charlie Hebdo Publishes 'Halal' Prophet Muhammad Comic Book Biography

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Huffington Post UK

French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has published a comic book biography of the life of the prophet Muhammad despite previously sparking international protests and being firebombed after running similar caricatures.

Charlie Hebdo has published satirical cartoons of the prophet Mohammed numerous times, sparking international outrage.

In October, Charlie Hebdo ran a cartoon of a rabbi pushing the Prophet in a wheelchair underneath the headline 'Intouchables 2'.

The figure being pushed says: "You mustn’t mock."

There were several more cartoons inside, including one showing the Prophet naked.

The timing of the cartoon was particularly incendiary, following closely on the heels of widespread violent protests by some Muslims against an anti-Islam YouTube film produced in California.

Charlie Hebdo’s editor, Stephane Charbonnier said the cartoons 'would shock those who want to be shocked'

The cartoons were condemned by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who, speaking during a visit to Cairo, told Le Monde that the French government is "against hostile provocations at this time".

Nevertheless, Charlie Hebdo’s editor, Stephane Charbonnier, defended the cartoons, arguing that they “would shock those who want to be shocked”.

He added: "The freedom of the press, is that a provocation? I'm not asking strict Muslims to read Charlie Hebdo, just like I wouldn't go to a mosque to listen to speeches that go against everything I believe.

"If we start to question whether we have the right to draw Muhammad or not, if that is a dangerous thing to do or not, the next question is going to be: can we depict Muslims in the newspaper? And then: can we represent human beings in the newspaper?"

Their offices were firebombed in 2011

Riot police had to be put on guard outside the Paris offices of the weekly publication and the French government closed 20 embassies around the world as a precautionary measure against retaliatory action.